SQL result set stepped on when calling to another method

We just encountered an instance of a result set RS and while looping through the results, RS is getting overwritten when method 1 calls out to method 2 (in the same class). Method 2 creates it own result set also named RS.

This code is several years old and never had this problem. When I changed the name of the result set variable in method 1 the problem cleared up.

I though that variables were automatically 'newed' in classmethods. ???

We also recently upgrade to the latest Cache version from a much older version. Is it possible that variable scope has changed across methods?